6 Animals in Africa You Need to Hunt [PICS]

Looking to plan an African safari? Africa is a large and diverse continent with outstanding big game hunting. Here are 6 animals in Africa you need to hunt.

Africa has some of the best big game hunting in the world and there are several dozen species that may be hunted. However, the sheer amount and variety of game can be mind boggling to the new hunter. Because of this, choosing where to begin is a difficult task.

Fortunately, this task is made much easier by the fact that there are many species that are much more common and widespread than others. These species make the good foundation for any good African safari hunt and are a great place to start for the novice hunter.

If you dream of hunting in Africa one day, click through the slideshow to see the 6 animals in Africa you need to hunt.

Like what you see here? You can read more great hunting articles by John McAdams at The Big Game Hunting Blog. Follow him on Twitter @TheBigGameHunt.

Impala

The impala is perhaps the single most common and most hunted species of plains game in all of Africa. They are found all over the continent and it is not uncommon to see hundreds of them in a single day of hunting. Because of this, they are extremely affordable and impala are often the first species many hunters take in Africa.

Warthog

The warthog is an ugly, yet charming animal that is another solid addition to any African safari hunt. Like the impala, the warthog is also relatively widespread and is another good animal for the first time hunter to pursue. In fact, a warthog was my first animal in Africa many years ago.

Kudu

The kudu is one of the most magnificent and sought after animals in all of Africa. With their long, spiral horns, it’s not difficult to understand why a good kudu is near the top of almost every hunter’s “wish list” when hunting Africa.

Zebra

Due to their distinctive appearance, the zebra is perhaps the animal most commonly identified with Africa. Their hides are highly sought after because of their beautiful color pattern of black and and white stripes (which are better camouflage than you would think). Additionally, their meat tastes pretty good as well.

Eland

With big bulls weighing in at over 2,200 pounds, the eland is the largest antelope in the world. They are even bigger than a Cape buffalo (though not nearly as dangerous). Even though they are so massive, the eland is surprisingly elusive and a big bull eland can be a difficult trophy to obtain. Also, of all the animals I’ve eaten in my life, the eland is by far the best tasting and I think it tastes better than even the best beef filet mignon.

Cape Buffalo

The Cape buffalo has a well-deserved reputation for being a tough, aggressive, and dangerous adversary. However, they are perhaps the most satisfying animal on the entire continent to hunt, and that’s really saying something. Since they can be so dangerous, and since a buffalo normally costs so much more than any species of plains game, I don’t recommend them for a first-time hunter to Africa. However, they should still be on your wish list for that return trip.